“Storm and Stress”, meaning state of disturbance and disorder. Refers to a German literary movement of the C18th

Sturmflut

“Storm surge” or storm tide, meaning deluge - I saw this for the first time in the Economist magazine, in April 2009

Übermensch

The term was coined by Friedrich Nietzsche in 1883 and described the "higher state to which he thought man might aspire"

Ur

Original, primary, primordial, used as prefix, e.g. ur-state

Weltanschauung

“World view”

Weltpolitik

“World politics” or global politics

Weltschmerz

”World pain”, world-weariness

Zeitgeist

“Spirit of the times”, seen frequently, a really useful loan word!

Notice how many of these words have a philosophical background?!

TIP! When these German words crop up in a German text you are translating into English, then write them in italics - it shows you're using the word deliberately and are aware that it doesn’t need an English equivalent!

2. German Words We Don't Bother To Translate

German word

English meaning

Autobahn

“Motorway”. We know the Germans love fast cars and no speed limits! If we were translating a piece about German motorways into English, we would leave the word Autobahn (spelt with a capital A) untranslated.

Bauhaus

Literally “building school”, this was a German stylistic period, dated 1919-1933, with its own style of arts, crafts and architecture.

Biedermeier

A period in 19th Central Europe (1815-1848), corresponding historically with English Regency style and US Federal style.

Blitz

“Lightening”, historically the German air bombardment of London in 1940, also to do something quickly and intensively e.g. cleaning a room, “do a blitz on something”

Blitzkreig

Another WWII term, literally “lightening warfare”, a swift military offensive using ground and air forces

Dummkopf

Blockhead, idiot, bonehead!

Ersatz

“Substitute” or “replacement” – in English this implies that it is not quite as good as the thing it replaces (not so in German)

Fuehrer

“Leader”, although Adolf Hitler automatically springs to mind for most English-speaking readers it remains a perfectly acceptable term in German. Unless your German translation refers to Adolf Hitler and the period around WWII, you would translate Fuehrer. E.g. Geschäftsführer – managing director.

Hausfrau

Housewife/homemaker – using “Hausfrau” means the people in question has an exclusive interest in domestic matters

Jugendstil

Style of art and architecture especially popular at the turn of the C19th . Literally “youthful style”, the German equivalent to Art Nouveau. It’s Austrian counterpart was the Vienna Secession.